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With the summer approaching many residents of Washington Heights are looking forward to the sunnier days, fireworks, and the ice-cream man. A growing number of residents however, are dreading the the season for it brings more kids (since school is out), more block parties, and more noise.
“These kids don’t have to get up to go to school, but I still have to get up to go to work,” said Juanita Vasquez, a community resident, on the noise the summer brings. “I go to bed at 12 o’clock just to get awakened by the noise three or four hours later.”
According to community board records, noise complaints to the 33rd and 34th precincts spike in the summer months. Andrew Capul, deputy inspector of the 34th precinct stated that school being out, a rise in block parties, and the opening of many nigthclubs were factors for the spike in noise complaints, at a recent community precinct meeting.
The close of April brought two rather warm and sunny days and also brought over one hundred calls to 311 over quality-of-life related complaints in the Washington Heights area. It seems this is a sign of things to come. With the opening day of summer about a month away, both local precincts and many local neighborhood-watch groups are gearing up for what is sure to be a sticky, noisy, complaint riddled season.
This is a big problem also in the Union Square neighborhood. With a lot of restaurants, lounges and nightclubs in the area, noisy patrons are always lurking late at night. Also, many residents have complained of the drummers in the park and skateboards who use the park after it is closed.
Five years ago I thought the city couldn’t get any louder. However, I was wrong. With all the new developments going on in Chelsea, the frequent deaths of pedestrians or the occasional suicide jumper, there is constant drama in Chelsea that keep the police and firetruck sirens blasting. New York being the city that it is, I don’t think that is going to change anytime soon.
I live in Brooklyn and I realize the pattern with the noise during the summer too. I live near a park and teenagers hang out there on warm summer nights and that has caused many frustrations to nearby residents.
I too have this problem in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. As a matter of fact, I had to call a neighbor and demand that they turn their music down; my floor was literally vibrating. It is impossible to study at home as May comes to an end, because everyone has opened their windows and more of their music blasts away,..only to my annoyance. Thank God I only have two more weeks until my studying period is completed.
C’mon everyone, This is “The City that Never Sleeps”, this is what New Yorkers are known for… Embrace the noise! Blast those Radios! or you could just go to the local pharmacy and pick up a set of earplugs…
-Marlon
o and by the way…i love the picture
This seems to be happening in every neighborhood. In the summer one of my neighbors, whose house is like four doors away like to sit on their step and smoke weed, laugh loudly, and have their children roaming the streets until four in the morning. While, they depend on government assistance others have to get up and go to work. That is why I make sure to have earplugs or turn the radio on to block out the noise.